World Record Holder Kliment Kolesnikov Plans to Race at 2025 Worlds, 2028 Olympics

Russian swimmer Kliment Kolesnikov, a World Record holder and double Olympic medalist in Tokyo, has committed to swim at both the 2025 World Aquatics Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

After only 15 Russians competed as neutrals across all sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the country’s stance on the status has shifted, with a recent presidential press release encouraging athletes to compete as neutrals where allowed.

Most federations, including World Aquatics, have also softened there stance as the Russian war in Ukraine approaches its 3 years anniversary. For example, Russian athletes are still banned from World Athletics and the soccer governing body FIFA, though the former began well before the war in Ukraine because of doping and Russia has begun publicly politicking for readmission as neutrals to the latter. Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, seems to be the biggest pain point for the Russian public among the bans.

Russia sent 28 swimmers to compete at the 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest under a neutral flag, but Kolesnikov was not among them – saying he felt uncomfortable competing as a neutral athlete (though it is expected he would be eligible for neutral status under AQUA’s terms).

In a recent interview with Metaratings.ru, a Russian publication focused on sports betting, Kolesnikov says that his views have evolved based on feedback from his teammates.

“Before our swimmers competed at the World Championships in Budapest, my position on the neutral status was neutral,” Kolesnikov said. “I expressed dissatisfaction with the existing set of rules for participation in competitions. But when the guys returned from the World Championships, I heard from them more than once that it would be very good if the whole team, including me, participated in the competitions.

“After that, I started thinking that it wouldn’t be very good for me to sit here while the entire team competes in Singapore and wins medals. I could also contribute to this: both in the relay and in individual events. I repeat: my plans now include preparing for Singapore. We’ll see how things go from here.”

Kolesnikov, who has been dealing with a minor injury that he downplayed in the interview, will miss the first stage of the Russian Cup in Kaliningrad next month to focus on training, as will many of his Russian fellow elites. He says he will now target the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore from July 27-August 3.

He also said that he plans to race through to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where he will be 28-years old.

Kolesnikov, like must Russian swimmers, skipped the Paris 2024 Olympics, but says that he doesn’t regret the decision.

“During the Olympic Games, there were different conditions, the situation and the excitement around all of this. I am not offended. I made a balanced decision and do not regret anything.”

Kolesnikov won silver in the 100 backstroke and bronze in the 100 freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; he also has three medals (only one individual bronze) from the long course World Championships.

The Russian is the current World Record holder in the 50 meter backstroke in both long course (23.55 – July 2023) and short course (22.11 – November 2022), both set during Russia’s international exile. While some of his countrymates have said that the lack of international competition has eaten away at their motivation, Kolesnikov says he hasn’t faced those same issues, which is supported by his record-setting swims.